Putting Away The Captain
by Vetesse
Summary: Some ship's crews have their own routines, varying amongst the crew members and how they get along with each other. Doc gets more than he bargained for in all the best ways with the somewhat often routine involving a certain ship's captain.


Gokaiger – Doc/Marvelous

'Putting Away the Captain'

A small nudge from his teammate was all that Doc felt, but he really didn't need it.

His eyes were already on their captain, who had gone well past dozing now to sound asleep in his captain's chair, arms resting on the sides and chin near to touching his chest – eyes closed and barely a breath coming from him, fast asleep as he was.

It was often the way of it, at first they had thought him peculiar, but as the bonds they'd formed grew stronger, they'd stopped letting him sleep in his chair at night – which he'd had the tendency to do often before they'd adopted the routine of 'putting the captain away' for the night. Or for a nap. Whichever time of the day Marvelous decided to drop off.

Somehow that task had fallen to Doc, who had already adopted doing so early on more than the others. His teammates, seeing he was able and willing and that Marvelous went more quietly with him, quickly shrugged off the whole thing onto him. But Doc didn't mind. Not in the slightest.

"Time to put away the captain." Joe smiled a it, leaning in briefly so that he could whisper it and nodding over at Marvelous.

Doc smiled and stood, crossing over to Marvelous' captain's chair and walking around in front – not behind. He'd taken the precautions, knowing how skilled a fighter and pirate that Marvelous was, never to come up behind him or catch him unawares. Not that he needed too. It was just another baffling thing about Marvelous that any of his teammates could approach him any which way when he fell asleep and he wouldn't exactly react at all.

Once he was out. He was out.

Doc didn't say anything, if he didn't speak then Marvelous barely only half woke – the barest amounts to function – and it was more comfortable that way for the pirate captain Doc was sure. He wasn't sure how Marvelous would ever react if he was fully aware of them doing this for him so half to nearly completely asleep on his feet was the way to go about it.

He put a hand on his arm first, making his presence known that way, and keeping it there as he moved around to the other side. Removing his hand he put it underneath Marvelous' opposite arm, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and gently prompting him with his voice a bit that it was time for bed, saying so with a smile.

Marvelous blinked his eyes open, fuzzily moving his head around somewhat in his direction but that was all, Doc smiling and urging him to his feet – lifting him up with a bit of a grunt, his team leader's help next to nothing in that regard.

They stumbled a bit but Doc steadied him with a hand on his back and regained his footing, pulling one of Marvelous' arms around his shoulders and tucking the other arm around his waist – urging him forward and out of the main, central room, starting the walk to Marvelous' quarters.

Occasionally Marvelous would stop, or give a bit of stumble and then stop but Doc kept him moving forward – occasionally smiling in turn and laughing a bit, doing his best to keep the other man moving the best that he could.

It was a relief when they reached his quarters, Marvelous had been less inclined to oblige him by walking the further and further they got but it was also a disappointed feeling that Doc felt. He always felt it when that long walk was over, missing the way it felt entirely too good to have the other man pressed against his side, the warmth of his body against his own. He supposed he just missed the companionship but he'd never really had that either up until joining the crew aboard this ship with his now fellow teammates.

It was a feeling he always dismissed. It wasn't that same gender relations were looked down upon on their planet like it was on this far off planet called earth, but he could scarcely believe anyone like Marvelous could ever be remotely interested in someone like him. It was _too _hard to believe. So he didn't.

And besides, his time with Marvelous was hardly over once they crossed the doorway to his quarters.

They'd quickly realized that if you deposited Marvelous in his bed, he'd either sit there and fall asleep again or if one pushed him over to lay down or he ended up there on his own – he'd promptly fall asleep in whatever position he found himself in with all his clothes on, blissfully oblivious to it. They also knew leaving him that way that the pirate did _not _like to sleep with his clothes on, waking up in a decidedly horrible mood should that occur.

That was about the same time Doc's teammates had ended everything regarding putting the captain away to him and him alone. Which didn't bother Doc in the slightest... no he felt a bit possessive in fact. He knew Joe had known Marvelous the longest, claimed to understand him better than most, and it was as if Joe had set him up to fail by passing this over to him.

It wasn't as if this was some chore or burden either. Marvelous was their teammate and leader and they were comrades after all – though that was more an unspoken thing than anything verbal.

Marvelous didn't do much of anything but yawn twice and blink a bit less than that while Doc undressed him, removing his boots first and then slipping off his coat – taking off his shirt and pants and folding them all neatly aside. Each garment removed was almost a reverent action. He was good at taking care of others, cooking, providing – it was the big stuff that sometimes overwhelmed him or rather many little things all at once. There was a soothing simplicity in knowing he couldn't fail in this and above all... it was Marvelous.

After he put the pirate's favorite pair of luxurious red silk sleeping pants on, he was about to withdraw to fold the blankets back when a pair of hands stopped him.

Blinking, he looked down and realized it was the half awake Marvelous who had a light grip on his shirt and he looked back at him in confusion. Unsure.

This was new.

The captain didn't give any answers, increasing his grip just slightly and leaning towards him.

"Do you want me to stay Marvelous-san?" Doc asked quietly, sitting back on his heels in front of him. He hoped he didn't sound too hopeful but this was nearly too good to be true. The softest of sighs was all he got in response though and Marvelous looked away, pointedly at some spot in the floor.

Gently extracting himself from the pirate's hold he reached for the last thing to divest him of, his bracelet, trying to brace himself for the weight of it. He didn't exactly succeed. As soon as he got it off of Marvelous' wrist, he practically dropped it to the floor.

Marvelous breathed a sleepy laugh and smile that Doc couldn't help but return despite himself and gently put a hand against his stomach, urging him back, "Sleep now Marvelous-san." he murmured.

Was there a flicker of disappointed on his face as he complied? Doc didn't look too close, could scarcely believe his previously silent question had been real but hesitated... Marvelous probably just didn't want to be alone tonight. He couldn't be blamed or thought strange for that. They were far out in space with only each other against all odds. It wasn't a lonely existence but closer companionship wasn't as easily accessible... that was surely it.

"I will return monetarily." Doc assured him as he covered him up, resting a hand on his stomach briefly before debating with himself and leaving.

Hastily he returned to his quarters, dressed in his sleeping attire for the night and returned. Marvelous had apparently been half dozing, lightly sprawled out above the covers – having obviously kicked them off a bit. It was a little bit of a warm night but it was going to get colder later on. And Doc knew just how much the captain didn't like to be cold. Once during a time what felt like now many months ago, on their first away trip together, they'd been trapped and held prisoner on an alien planet.

With one blanket between the five of them, they'd woken up cold and freezing – besides Marvelous, who had commandeered the blanket during the middle of the night. Though he wouldn't express it openly, he'd seemed to have felt bad – refusing it the second night and stubbornly sitting in a corner, claiming he'd keep watch while the others slept and no amount of talking had convinced him otherwise. Being the crew that they were however, when the temperature dropped during the middle of the night none of them could leave Marvelous as he was and over his protests they'd pressed as close as they could to him in the same corner, pulling the blanket around all of them.

That night, pressed against Marevlous' side... had been one of the most cherished moments of his life despite the circumstances. And when the pirate captain had finally succumbed to sleep, his head resting lightly against Doc's... the Green Gokai Ranger had felt absolutely complete in ways he'd never fathomed possible.

In the present, Marvelous blinked out of his doze a bit, and gave a surprised look over at Doc – as if he hadn't expected him to return.

Doc felt a sudden but not unpleasant fluttering in his stomach, realizing how surprised he was even here himself. Here... with Marvelous-san. Who'd wanted him to stay. Marvelous who was currently half clothed, sprawled lazily and boneless against the bed... looking at him exactly as he was. But the want and desire in his eyes was belayed with something else. Was it nerves? Insecurity? Or doubt?

Doc wasn't sure but suddenly, all _his _nervous left him in a rush and with it he let out a breath. Marvelous, famed space pirate, was here just as nervous as he'd been. And that brought out a strong amount of sudden, protective instincts. He suddenly wasn't all that afraid, perhaps a bit nervous, but not afraid and reached out to show Marvelous that he didn't have to be either.

Crawling into bed with him on the other side he moved gently close, not with too much movement at once. Marvelous, despite his tired state, looked about ready to bolt and suddenly very much awake. And that renewed the fluttering in Doc's stomach furiously as their eyes met and held. What if this wasn't wanted? What if as tired as he was and half asleep as he was – Marvelous hadn't been aware of what he'd been asking _for_? What if he'd changed his mind? What if –

A broad smile spread across Marvelous' face, with all the characteristic boldness and cockiness, the captain relaxing against the bed. Alight and happy. So with it... immediately went all of Doc's nerves completely.

And he smiled back.


End file.
